Since the 1930s the Institute has been an active advocate of heritage conservation and has produced the seminal Institute Register of Significant 20th Century Buildings. The Institute reaffirms the responsibility of the architectural profession to contribute to the proper conservation and understanding of the natural and cultural environment, and in particular, the built environment. The Institute believes that those involved in the provision of advice regarding the conservation of buildings must be registered architects with an understanding of heritage issues, design skills, and appropriate knowledge and experience of construction and compliance.
The importance of heritage in our built environment is well established. A heritage item may be significant for aesthetic, historic, social, spiritual or technical reasons but whatever the reasons are, architects should play a significant role in the item’s creation, conservation, adaptation and ongoing management and maintenance. Recent government reviews of heritage protection in Australia have identified the need for improvement in a number of areas, including, implementing more rigorous listing procedures for heritage items and providing more adequate assistance and resources for their ongoing well-being.
Most buildings require significant re-investment every 20 to 30 years. Even where a building’s heritage significance is well established, the usefulness and long term viability of the building (physical and financial) remain important considerations.
Some buildings are of such significance that retention in their original or existing form is essential. In other cases it may be necessary for them to be upgraded to achieve compliance with current standards, and/or adapted for new uses in order to survive. Adaptive re-use involves appropriate and acceptable modification of the existing entity and perhaps sympathetic extensions, in order to reinvigorate the building and to achieve a dignified and viable future. To do this successfully it is always important to understand the significance of the place and its component parts, its context and setting, and the original design intent at the commencement of the process. Creativity allied with design skills as well as an appreciation of the original building are required. A sustainable future is assisted by the ongoing maintenance and appropriate use of existing buildings.